DPS Program Saving Lives, Protecting Children

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today highlighted the success of the unparalleled Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) program, which helps officers identify and recover missing or exploited children. In 2009, DPS launched the IPC program to teach troopers and officers how to identify, recognize, intervene and remove endangered children without obvious signs of abuse being present.

“DPS identified and filled a law enforcement void with an invaluable program that trains officers to identify children in danger during traffic stops, including human trafficking,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “This program will continue to yield results and our officers will continue to protect innocent children, save lives and stop predatory criminals from committing the most heinous crimes.”

IPC is a valuable program that provides sophisticated training to help law enforcement officers identify and recover missing or exploited children and arrest suspects for sexual assault of children, including possession of child pornography.

As a result of this training, DPS has made 20 criminal arrests and recovered 62 missing or exploited children since 2010. Since the program’s inception, DPS has provided the IPC training to its own officers as well as other law enforcement, including more than 2,600 officers in Texas and approximately 1,900 officers nationally and internationally outside of Texas. A variety of other groups interested in the protection of children have also attended the training.

Numerous organizations interested in the IPC program have requested and received presentations and classes from DPS about the training, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigations; Canadian Center for Child Protection Conference; University of Arkansas - Criminal Justice Institute; and Child Advocacy Center of Texas Conference.